Steam-trap



(No Model.) 2 Sleeets-Sheet; 1.

B. W. FELTI-IOUSEN.

STEAM TRAP.

N4 PETERS. PhamLithngrzphnr. wnshingnm. IM:A

UNITED STATES- PATENT Ormea.

BARRENT WV. FEL'IHOUSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, VVISGONSIN.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 264,522, datedSeptember 19, 1882.

` Applica-tion tiled May 23, 1882, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BARRENT W. FELT- HOUSEN,of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Steam- Traps; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exat descriptionofthe invent-ion, which will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of' this specification.

My invention relates to that particular class of devices used to returnthe water of condensation from steam-coils to the boiler automatically,and which are denominated steamtraps.77 Its object is the constructionof a simpler device and better arrangement and com- -bination of devicesthan those heretofore made use of for that purpose. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved trap ready for connection with coils and boiler. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section of the same, with the interior valves,pipes, and connections,with the valves U andH and their covers andconnections shown out of place for l facility in showing all the partsin one Iigure, their true position beingshown in Fig. l. Fig. 3represents a part ofthe top ofthe trap, withaplatefordirectingthecourseoftheinowing water. Fig. 4 shows a view of thecover ot' the valve-case T from beneath. Fig; 5 shows the device forraising and turning the valves U and H in detail. Fig. 6 shows across-section of rod E.

The exterior shell A of my improved trap is constructed of' cast-iron orother suitable material. lt is connected with the drip or condensationchamber or lower portion of the coils by means of a pipe leading to thetrap and provided with check-valve X, opening inward. A returnwater-pipe, Z, leads from the trap to the boiler. vA valve-case, T, isplaced on its top, and this is, at e, connect-ed with the steamspaceofthe boiler and at d with a waste-pipe. Within the shell A is placedthe bucket-float B, constructed, as shown, contracted at the top,butprovided with a wide mouth. An upright rod, E, is firmly attached tothe interior of the bucket B at its bottom, and is'guided and supportedby a surrounding tube, F, rmly inserted atits upper end in the lid ofthe trapf. The shell A is constructed of two segments, a lower and theupper one, f, attached to each other by meansof anges and bolts. Thetube of F is surrounded by an annular passage, D, formed as shown in.Fig. 2, and leading directly into the pipe Z, through anoutwardlyopening check-valve, V. The lower portion ot' passage D isformed of a tube screwed into the upper or elbow portion, which ispreferably cored out in casting the upper segment ofthe trap. The tubesF and D terminate below at a point which enables them to check theverltical movement of the oat B at the proper place. Upon the neck ot'iioatV B is placed an annular tank, C, provided with two pipes, M and N.On top of the tank is a cup-valve, L, surrounded by an open cup. At thetop of rod E is placed a friction-roller, K, which fits the forkedopening of a lever, I), pivoted to the lower end of' a standard, c,affixed to the bar b, attached to the sides ofthe valvecase T. The leverP is provided with rollers 0 O, beveled, as shown in Fig. 5, on eitherside of its pivotal point.

The valve-case T consists of' a box con- -structed in two sections, sand t, and bolted on the outside to the lid of' the trap over an openingtherein, and containing the valves U and H, which I prefer to constructwith spindles W W, that are guided by perforations in of the valve-case,but arranged so as not to retard the free passage of the steam. Thevalve U has a double seat, with an annular passage, h, between them, soas to cause the valve to balance very nearly under the pressure ot' thesteam aboveand below and lift very readily. The spindles W W of thevalves U'H depend in such a position as to be touched and raised by therollers O 0, pivoted to the lever l?, whenY the lever is oscillated bythe rising and falling ot' the oat B. The lower ends ot' spindles W Ware square, and their edges rest on thebeveled edge ofthe wheel, asshown in Fig. 5. raised and seated in a new place each time, andlthereby is kept ground to its seat.

G is a plate or shelt' attached to the lid ot' the trap and placed nearthe water-inlet, so as to prevent the water as it enters the trap fromfalling into the oat B. A check-valve (not guide-bars a and b,extendingfrom side to'side' The valve is. therefore turned as it is too shown inthe drawings) is placed in the pipe Z at its lower end, near the boiler.Now, should this check-valve leak, the water will pass up the pipe Z,through check-valve J, and into the body of the trap, as shown in Fig.2, connecting with pipe Z, and furnished with an inwardly-openingcheck-valve. An aircock, worked by hand for the purpose of freeing thetrap from air in starting, is placed in the lid 0f the trap at z. Aglobe-valve is placed in the steam-pipe communicating with the boilerand entering the trap at c, but is not shown in the drawings.

My improved device operates as follows: The trap being entirely emptyatstarting, the weight of the float B causes it to sink to the bottom ofthe trap and bring all the parts into the position shown inthe drawings.The aircockz is opened. Theglobe-valvein the steampipe, entering at c,is closed, and the pressure of the steam in the coils causes the waterof condensation to enter the trap through cheek-valve X, whence it flowson to shelf G, and is directed down along the inside of shell A. As thewater fiows in it lifts the Heat B until that is checked by the lowerends of pipes I and F striking the bottom of the float. As float B risesit will raise the relief-valve U and allow the valve H to seat itself.The air-cock z should then be closed. The water will then continue torise in the trap until the body of the trap is full. when it willoverflow into the float B and till and sink it to the bottom. As floatBdescends it carries tank C underneath the water, and the tank is alsofilled with water through the pipes M N, any air or steam in the tankescaping through the upwardlyopening cupvalve L. Meanwhile, as soon asthe trap has partially filled with water, the globe-valve in steam-pipeentering at e should -be opened. Fig. 7 shows the construction'of theseat of valve U in detail. As the float B descends it opens thesteam-valve H and allows reliefvalve U to close. The steam from theboiler rushes through steam-valve H and presses upon the surface of thewater till the pressure in the boiler and trap are equal. As the trap isplaced above the boiler, the water in the trap, being acted on by thiscontinued equalizing pressure, will find its level, passing down intofloat B and up passage-way D, out through check-valve V, into pipe Z,down through another outwardly opening cheek valve (not shown) near theboiler, and finally into the boiler, the water above the float havingbeen forced out of the trap till it reaches the level of dotted line R.All the water below the dotted line and outside the float B is leftevery time. The water in the iloat B is forced up and out by the samepressure. As the water is forced out of float B it is held down by thetank C being full of water. When sufficient water has been forced out offloatB to make it buoyant enough to float in the water remaining in thetrap and lift tank G and its contents, so as to expose the lower end ofpipe M, which leads nearly to the top of tank G, the steam will enterthe tank through pipe M and allow the water in tank C to empty itselfthrough pipe N very quickly, as.pipes N and M are quite large.' Now, thefioat B, being relieved of its weight, ascends suddenly, allowingsteam-valve H to close, and opens the relief-'valve U, through which thetrap will lose its pressure of steam and any air which may accumulate inthe circuit ot' condensation. Now, the steam'equalizing valve H isclosed, and the waterpressure trom the boiler will close the dischargecheck-valves in pipe Z. The trap has lost its pressure through valve U,so that it is ready to-continue its work automatically. It willtherefore be seen that any amount of pressure mayexist in the boiler andonly enough pressure may exist in the coils to force the water ofcondensation up into the trap against no pressure. A globe-valve may beplaced in passage d to regulate the amount of waste, if desired.

By means of the relief-valve Uthe trap is cnablcd to commence fillingalmost as soon as it is emptied, without waiting for the condensation ofthe steam within the trap.

It will be seen at a glance should the checkvalve at the boiler(notshown) and outlet checkvalve V leak the water would return back intothe float, causing it to sink and operate before the trap is full. Itherefore place a small check-valve, J, just above the dotted line R,opening toward the trap and on the discharge from trap to boiler, whichwould make any leakage pass directly into the trap. Hence under anycircumstances the trap must fill first before there can any water enterthe float. So it will be perceived that the amount of water allowed toaccumulate in the main body ofthe trap A before the float fillsregulates the size of the trap, the iloat being only used for thepurpose of opening the steam and relief valves, allowing the same valvesto close themselves. Only one size oat is thus required for all sizes oftraps. Now, should the float by accident fill and sink before the trapAis full and open thesteam-valve H,thesteampressurewillforce the tankfull of water from below the dotted line R, as the pipe M is ofsuticient length to admit of this and not expose the lower end, so thefloat B must lift tank C and its contents, and in so doing will nearlyempty itself every time it works. rThe action of the steam and reliefvalves is therefore made very positive by the sure and suflcientascension of the float.

It will be noticed that the air-valve L on top oftank C is surrounded byan open tank, which is full of water to prevent any air entering intothe tank.

The hole S at the base of the trap is an oriice to clean it, which isclosed bya tap-screw.

I claiml. A steam-trap provided with a movable tank attached to thefloat, arranged and constructed so as to alternately receive and dis-IOO IIO

charge Water, and by its consequent change of weight render themovements of the float more positive, for the purpose alreadydescribed'.

2. A steam-trap provided with a movable tank connected to the float,furnished Withan inlet and outlet pipe and a valve at the top,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A steam-trap provided with a tank attached to an open-top verticalfloat.

4. A steam-trap provided With a steam and relief valve, With apartitionin the cover that separates the two valves, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a steam-trap, of the lever P, beveled rollers O0,11oat B, and valvespindles adapted to be rotated whenever they areopened, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In combination with a steam-trap, an in- Wardly-opening check-valve,J, situated in the discharge pipe below the discharge checkvalve V, andleading in-to the body of the trap above the line R R, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

7. In a steam-trap, the combination of the rod E, attached to iloat B,and provided with roller K and lever P, forked for the reeeption of theroller, so as to prevent all lost motion, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

8. In a steam-trap, the combination of the steam-valve H, relief-valveU, the check-valves X and V, oat B, tank C, rod E, guidepipe, andpassage D, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

` In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

BARRENT W. FELTHOUSEN.

In presence of- E. H. BoT'rUM, T. H. BQTTUM.

